Detonator for land mines

ABSTRACT

1,176,352. Land mines. INDUSTRIEWERKE KARLSRUHE, A.G. 9 Feb., 1967 [16 April, 1966], No. 6267/67. Addition to 1,005,388. Heading F3A. The land - mine of parent Specification 1,005,388 is modified by a cover member 3 having a spherical surface 51 with a centre of curvature which lies above the mine body, or in an upper part thereof, and which is supported by an annular member with an upper web 52a, having a conical surface supporting the surface 51 of the cover member, a cylindrical web 52c forming an axially directed guide, and a web 52b disposed between the webs 52a and 52c, and having a lower conical surface supported by a spherical surface 53 of an annular elastic buffer member 54, having a centre of curvature below the mine or in a lower part thereof. The web 52c is guided on a fuse receiver member 55 which is connected to the mine casing by rivets 56. The material of the spherical surfaces 51 and 53 is harder than that of the webs 52a and 52b, so that when the cover member is subjected to heavy loading its freedom of movement is ensured. The edge 52bk of the web 52b can abut an edge 52k of the member 55, and act as a shock absorber. A fuse is retained in the member 55 by springs 60. An arming device comprises lugs 67 which project above a cover 62 and entered from a rotatable ring 66 having recesses 68 into which pins 64 can move to release a slider 63 and allow it to be moved towards the fuse by a spring 69. An opening in the bottom of the casing 1 is closed by a metal cover 57. A heat fusible screw 58 is located in the side of the casing 1, together with an auxiliary detonator 59, so that the mine can be used for demolition work.

NOV. 19, 1968 P MADLENER ET AL 3,411,445

DETONATOR FOR LAND MINES NOV. 19, 1968 P MADLENER ET AL 3,411,445

DETONATOR FOR LAND MINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l0, 1966 UnitedStates Patent 3,411,445 DETONATOR FOR LAND MINES Paul Madleuer,Karlsruhe-Durlach, Josef Muller, Grotzingen, Baden, and Otto Pecksen,Herrenalb, near Karlsruhe, Germany, assignors to Industrie- WerkeKarlsruhe Aktiengesellschaft, Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany, a corporationof Germany Filed June 10, 1966, Ser. No. 556,637 Claims priority,application Germany, June 19, 1965, .I 28,381 Claims. (Cl. 102-8)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A detonator for use in a land mine to bedropped from airplanes, traveling tanks and the like, and comprising anannular member screwed into the center of a pressure resistant coverattached resiliently to the mine housing, said annular member having `aspring-influenced axially slidable member therein which upon removal ofa safety pin transmits the pressure acting upon the cover to ya pressureball mounted on one end of an axially movable sleeve in a detonatorhousing. This last-named sleeve is adapted to be locked in itsinoperative position, but when unlocked is adapted, owing to pressureaction on the ball in any direction, to transmit an axially directedpressure to the sleeve which latter then during its movement releases animpact bolt mounted for laxial movement in a tubular guide centrallyarranged within the detonator housing.

The invention relates to a detonator for use in land mines which aredropped from aeroplanes, traveling tanks or the like, with a releasemember tiltable universally and which upon perpendicularly directeddetonation waves, particularly of nuclear type, makes an idle movement,while upon forces occurring on an inclined position, it tips from itsbearing surface and releases the tiring pin. The detonator isconstructed as a pressure cover which is resist-ant to bending stressesand which in addition to an elastic outer ring body is provided with anintermediate hard-elastic inner ring body which engages the mine casing.The inner ring body has a curved surface with a radius which is smallerthan the highly curved counter surface of the pressure cover. Upondropping from a greater height, the cover rim may under certaincircumstances rst strike the ground; it must then receive the entirestriking force and is thereby pushed to the side. The result of this isthat the cover no longer returns into its starting position thedetonator release means are no longer in alinement and the outer elasticring body is distorted and may even tear away.

In order to overcome this disadvantage, the invention provides meanswhich prevent a lateral shifting of the mine cover when hitting theground. For this purpose the cover edge is provided with an upwardlyextending, inwardly directed bead having attached thereto a stifenedmeans in the form of a supporting member. Furthermore, a hollow chamberformed between `an outer elastic annular body and the wall of the minecasing is covered by an annular diaphragm which is xed by means of aanged ring to the mine c-asing in suitable manner. If, upon release, themine hits the ground or the target with the edge of the pressure cover,then the main impact of the mine casing filled with explosive will becushioned in that the pressure cover receives no substantial lateralthrusts. The space between mine casing, annular body and pressure coveris sealed by means of the diaphragm, so that no ice, stones or earth mayenter therebetween.

The feature of the invention is shown and described Cil ICC

by way of example in the two accompanying drawing figures.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of the mine body;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the mine body with carrier handle ina reduced scale;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the detonator; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

The cylindrical mine casing 1 is provided with an upwardly extending,inwardly curved outer bead 1a which is in substantial alinement with thelower edge of the pressure cover 3. Within this bead 1a is arranged areinforcing ring 1b, which abuts against the entire bead and constitutesa `substantial reinforcement of the same. The circumferential wall ofthe casing 1 is welded at 1c to the bottom wall 1e of the mine. Anintermediate hard-elastic inner ring body Sc is attached to the top wall1f of the casing 1 and has a raised upper convex surface whose radius ofcurvature is smaller than that of the concave counter-surface of thepressure cover 3.

If upon dropping the bead 1a of the mine hits the target, the mainimpact will be sustained by the mine casing which is filled withexplosives, and the pressure cover 3 will not receive any lateralthrust. A hollow space which is formed between the top wall 1f of themine casing 1, an annular body 5 and the pressure cover 3 is sealed bymeans of an annular diaphragm 5a, so that no ice, stones or earth canenter therebetween. The diaphragm 5a consists of one piece with theannular body 5 and is held in place by means of a flanged ring 5b weldedto the casing.

A further feature of the present invention is that in the bottom of themine casing a screw cover 1d is inserted which consists of a syntheticmaterial having a melting point of about C. The purpose of this screwlconnection is that upon exterior heating action, as for example uponburning of munitions depots or munitions transports, in which noexplosive capsules are located in the mines, this screw coupling ofsynthetic material melts before the detonation point of the explosivefilling of the mine is attained. The clouds of vapor or smoke formingfrom the explosive may be drawn off; thereby, according to experience,the danger of detonation is essentially reduced, and the mines only burnout.

At the same time, the screw coupling aperture 1d serves for thesubsequent insertion of the propagation or primer charge after thepouring.

Former construction disclosed that a substantially projecting threadedconnection above the pressure cover resulted in appreciable disturbancesin functioning when a load was passing over the mine. For preventing anunintentional release of the mine, a spacing piece was used whichprevented a screwing in of the pressure cover screw connection.Accordingly, the detonator could not be subjected to a load or pressure.

In order to overcome this disadvantage, the invention provides a screwconnection which is tiush with the pressure cover, whereby the screwconnection of the pressure cover consists of an exterior screw memberand of a longitudinally movable sliding member upon which a helicalspring acts which is covered by a sealing diaphragm which is heldtensioned by means of a transverse safety pin.

This feature is illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1.

The screw connection consists substantially of an exterior threadedmember 10a and a longitudinally slidable member 10b on which acts ahelical pressure spring 10c disposed in an annular chamber 10' of theslidable member 10b. The latter is held tensioned by means of a trans-Verse safety pin 10d passing through a central projection of the memberb and a threaded collar 10m on said projection. A diaphragm 10e servesfor the sealing of the annular chamber which receives the spring 10c. Aslong as the safety pin 10d is inserted, there is suicient space betweenthe conical recess 10]c in the slidable member 1Gb and the detonatorthat upon actuation of the pressure cover 3, the detonator is notloaded. If the safety pin 10d, however, is pulled out and removed, thenthe slidable member 10b moves under action of the helical pressurespring 10c downwardly to an annular stop shoulder or abutment 10g on asleeve 101 arranged between the member 10a and the slidable member 10b,whereby an annular expanding spring 10h engages an annular groove 10i insaid sleeve 101 and holds the sliding member 10b securely in thisposition. Said sleeve 101 is in threaded connection with the member 10a.A rubber ring 10k arranged on the outer circumference of the screwmember 10a serves for the sealing 0f the annular space between the screwmember 10a and the pressure cover 3.

The advantage of the arrangement is that for the preparation for `firingonly a single manipulation is necessary, namely a pulling off of thesafety pin 10d. It should also be noted that the screw connection isarranged completely in the cover 3.

In the following is described an improved form of the detonator in whichsolely an axial pressure is exerted upon the detonator and misrings areavoided.

In order to eliminate sources of error, the invention is provided withthe following features:

The release power is transferred by a pressure ball which exerts on thepressure member solely axial forces. Thereby the protection of thedetonator takes place by means of an easily releasable spring stirrupwhich supports the pressure ball; the cylinder lock, which determinesthe release point of the detonator, is flattened at its control end andthereby insures a well-defined release point. Further details of thedetonator are ydescribed in the following description and in the claims.The invention by way of example is described with reference to the FIGS.3 and 4.

The arrangement of the pressure member 11a assures that the slidablesleeve 11 disposed below it receives only an axial pressure. The lateralcomponents are taken up by the upwardly extending circular wall 17a of acap member 17. In order to protect the detonator against unintentionalactuation, the pressure ball 11a is locked by the lower inwardlyextending ends of a removable safety stirrup 39 which extend throughapertures in the wall 17a of the cap member 17. The outer ends of thehorizontal and radial locking pins 14 are flattened at i 14a somewhatdown to one half of their diameter and t the lower end 14b of thehousing Wall. This results in a well-defined release point. A controlsleeve 26 within the housing 4 is supported with an inclined wall 26a ontwo locking balls a. The locking balls 25a in turn engage a projectingcollar 23a of a control sleeve 23 which is fixedly mounted on a tubularshaft 19 of the operating mechanism. The collar of the control sleeve 23has on its outer circumference two oppositely disposed curved recesses23b (FIG. 4).

In these recesses 23b the locking balls 25a may enter after acorresponding rotation of the tubular shaft 19, and this will releasethe slidable sleeve 26 which under action of the helical pressure spring16 moves downwardly. This causes a cross-hatched mark to move inregister with an inspection window 41 in the wall of the housing 4 andshows that the detonator mechanism has run off and that the detonator isready t0 be fired. This is insofar important if the detonator is pickedup again by its own people and is to be used again. For this purpose,the operating mechanism 18 with the aid of a coin inserted in a slot 42arranged in the lower end of the shaft 19 may again be tensioned. Thiscauses the crosshatched mark 40 to disappear again from the window 41.

The protection against unpriming or disarming by the enemy is arrangedin the same detonator. For this purpose the inner wall of the detonatorhousing 4 is bored out at its upper end and in the recess formed aslidable ring 43 is inserted, whose inner wall is ush with the innerwall of the slidable sleeve and with a collar 44 provided in thedetonator housing 4. The slidable ring 43 is secured by two screws 45,clamps or the like, which are inserted into the upper side 0f the cap 17against the collar 44 to hold it tight. Above the upper end of theslidable sleeve 11 is pressed a collar 46 which secures the locking pins14 against turning. In a groove in the outer periphery of collar 46 isinserted a rubber ring 47.

For protection against unpriming or disarming, both screws 45 areremoved. If the mine is set in motion by means of removal of the safetypin 10d, then the pressure ball 11a and therewith the slidable sleeve 11are pressed downwardly a predetermined distance, and indeed so far thatvthe outer ends of the pins 14 engage the inner 'wall of the collar 44.If it is now attempted to unprime or disarm the mine by means ofunscrewing the cover member 10a and a removal of the detonator, then theslidable sleeve 11 is moved upwardly under the action of the spring 16,thereby the rubber ring 47, which engages in this position the slidablering 43, takes the latter along. As a result, the slidable ring 43 isremoved from the collar 44 and forms a slot between the collar 44 andslidable ring 43. The pins 14 moving upwardly and away from the collar44 move into this slot between the parts 43, 44 and the inner ends ofthe pins 14 release the impact bolt 13 and the mine detonates.

What we claim is:

1. In a detonator for land mines which are to be dropped from airplanes,traveling tanks or the like, including a universally movable releasemember, which upon encountering vertically directed detonation waves,particularly of nuclear type, performs an idle movement, while uponinclined directed forces tilts from its bearing surface and releases afiring pin, said detonator being also provided with a housing and apressure cover resistant to bending, which in addition to an elasticouter annular body engages the mine casing with an intermediatehardelastic Vinner ring body, said inner ring body having a raisedcurved upper surface with a radius which is smaller than that of theconcave counler-surface of the pressure cover, said pressure coverhaving a centrally disposed interiorly threaded aperture adjacent saidconcave countersurface, an exteriorly threaded annular member (10a)secured in said aperture, guide means (10]) within said annular member,a longitudinally slidable member (10b) within said guide means, abutmentmeans (10g) for limiting the slidable movement of said slidable memberwithin said guide means, a central projection (10m) on said slidablemember (10b) extending beyond an upper end face of said annular member,a helical spring arranged between said slidable member (10b) and anabutment on said annular member (10a), and a safety pin extendingtransversely through said central projection and engaging said upper endface of said annular member for holding said helical spring (10c) undertension, said helical spring upon removal :of said safety pin causingsaid slidable member to be moved in engagement with said abutment meanson said guide means.

2. A detonator according to claim 1, including a tlneaded cover (1d)arranged in the bottom Wall of the mine casing and consisting of asynthetic material with a fusion point of approximately C.

3. A detonator according to claim 1, including a rubber ring (10k)inserted in the outer circumference of the threaded member for sealingan annular space formed between said threaded member and the pressurecover.

4. A detonator according to claim 1, in which said guide means (lill)comprises a sleeve which is secured within said annular member (10a) andslidably receives said slidable member and is provided at its lower endwith a radially inwardly extending stop shoulder forming said abutmentmeans for said slidable member.

S. A detonator according to claim 1, in which said guide means (10])comprises a sleeve which is secured within said annular member (10a) andslidably receives said slidable member and is lprovided at its lower endwith a radially inwardly extending stop shoulder forming said abutmentmeans for said slidable member, said sleeve being provided in itsinterior adjacent its lower end with an annular groove (10i) forreceiving an annular expander spring (10h) mounted on said slidablemember when the latter engages said stop shoulder.

6. A detonaor according to claim 1, in which said sidable member (10b)is provided with an annular chamber for receiving said helical spring,and a diaphragm for sealing said annular chamber and engaged by theupper end of said helical spring.

7. A detonator according to claim 1, including a detonator housing, anaxially movable sleeve (11) mounted in one end of said housing, a pairof radial locking pins (14) carried by said sleeve, an impact boltaxially movable in said housing and engaged by the inner ends of saidlocking pins when the latter are in locked position, manuallycontrollable means (43) for unlocking said locking pins, and a pressureball (11a) engaging one end of axially movable sleeve and arrangedbetween one end of the latter and said slidable member (10b), saidpressure ball upon removal of said safety pin and unlocking of saidlocking pins caused by an impact upon said pressure cover being adaptedto exert upon said axially movable sleeve an axial pressure and causingsaid impact bolt (13) to detonate the mine.

8. A detonator according to claim 7, including a cap provided with anupwardly extending circular wall attached to the end of the detonatorhousing which has said axially movable sleeve mounted therein, saidcircular wall surrounding said pressure ball and being adapted to belocked therein against axial movement by a removable stirrup (39) havingtwo ends which extend through apertures in said circular wall and engagea lower portion of said pressure ball.

9. A detonator according to claim 7, including a slidable control sleeve(26) within said detonator housing, and having at its lower end aninwardly facing inclined wall (26a), an ignition mechanism having atubular shaft within said detonator housing, a collar on said tubularshaft, two locking balls between said inclined wall and said collar,spring means adapted to urge said control sleeve in a direction in whichsaid inclined wall engages said locking balls, and two oppositelydisposed recesses (23h) on said collar for receiving said two lockingballs upon a rotative movement of said tubular shaft and for releasingsaid slidable sleeve so that it may move downwardly in a position whichindicates that the ignition mechanism has run off.

10. A detonator according to claim 1, including a detonator housing, anaxially movable sleeve (11) mounted in one end of said housing, a lpairof radial locking pins (14) carried by said sleeve, an impact boltaxially movable in said housing and engaged by the inner ends of saidlocking pins when the latter are in locked position, manuallycontrollable means (43) for unlocking said locking pins, and a pressureball (11a) engaging one end or said axially movable sleeve and arrangedbetween one end of the latter and said slidable member (10b), saidpressure bail upon removal of said safety pin and unlocking of saidlocking pins caused by an impact upon said pressure cover being adaptedto exert upon said axially movable sleeve an axial pressure, saidmanually controllable means comprising a ring (43) axially slidablymounted in an annular recess provided in the detonator housing, saidannular recess having a radial bottom wall, and screw means for clampingsaid ring against said radial bottom of said recess, the outer ends ofsaid locking pins in their locked position engaging the innercircumferential wall of said ring, said ring being adapted to be axiallymoved away from the bottom of said recess upon removal of said screwmeans, whereby the outer ends of said locking pins being adapted to moveinto the space 'vacated by said ring and release said impact bolt.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,318,098 10/1919 Midgley 102-731,572,436 2/1926 King 102-84 2,514,401 7/1950 Liljegren 102--8 2,555,3186/1951 Christensen 102-8 2,661,690 12/1953 Diels 102-8 3,205,817 9/1965Madlener et al. 102-8 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

G. H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner.

